Tuesday, December 15, 2015

As we get
closer to the winter solstice of 2015, many people across the globe get ready
to celebrate the holidays. In the West
and spreading around the globe, Christmas is the supposed birth of Christ widely
celebrated by modern day Christians. But the Christian tradition of celebrating
Christmas on the Winter Solstice in and around December 25th has its roots in
pre-Christian times. From Yule and the ancient Egyptian cult of Horus, to the ancient
Roman festivals of Saturnalia and Mythra, the winter solstice celebrations have
gone through many transformations from culture to culture and throughout
time. Even though Christianity may be the predominant religion in the
Americas, we live in an age of Consumerism and the obsessive pursuit of Capital. It
requires an unfaltering and blind faith from part of the people to enable the
current capitalist system to exist and work even if it's just in the imagination
of the masses. The fiction of money and the doctrines of consumerism are made
real when people believe in them, just like religion.

Hercules and the Virtues (2013)

Oil and metal leaf on panel 36" x 28"

by Patrick McGrath Muñíz

In an age
where any holiday becomes the perfect opportunity to sell and buy stuff in
large quantities, the Christmas tradition inevitably becomes an ideal occasion
to introduce new gods and new rituals to replace the old one. When Christianity
became the official religion of the Roman Empire, the winter festivities in
honor of the pagan gods still had a strong presence and significance in Roman
society. Since it became nearly impossible to ban these pagan festivals, they
were simply replaced by the new Christian celebration. This did not occur
overnight but gradually, therefore many of the rituals of the ancient
pagan religions were adopted and are still alive in the Catholic Mass and
Christmas celebration (such as the merrymaking parties, decorated
trees and the family gift-giving derived from the Saturnalia in honor of the god Saturn).

The Uninvited (2013)

Oil and metal leaf on panel 36" x 28"

by Patrick McGrath Muñíz

A similar
phenomena is occurring right in front of our eyes gradually taking over the
Christian tradition and replacing it with the sacred ritual of consumerism that
holds money as the supreme one eyed, all seeing and "all can do" god. Today, the image of Coca Cola's Santa Claus, candy canes and the
Macy's parade have become just some of the many consumer culture symbols
associated with the Christmas season in the U.S. In Latin America, scenes
of the nativity and the three kings are even more visible but they are slowly
being displaced by the American symbols that act as new colonizers
spreading the gospel of the consumer/capital religion.

Adoracion Capital (2014)

Oil on canvas 30" x 30""

by Patrick McGrath Muñíz

The visitation of the Magi is a very well known image
cherished throughout Puerto Rico, Mexico and the rest of Latin America. So are
many of the icons and consumer culture elements depicted in the painting Adoración Capital. An “Old
fashioned” Quaker Oats man and Aunt Jemima, well established corporate entities
pose as the holy parents to a new generation of consumers driven by technology
and non material goods existing in cyberspace. The protagonist child wearing a
“Che Guevara” t shirt seems absorbed by the small screen, while a Burger King
and a group of immigrant workers bring food and other presents. In the
background scientists Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker from the Muppets suggest
that the corn and other products carried by the fast food employees may have
been genetically modified. Behind them a Santa pushes a shopping cart full of
gifts out of a department store that uses a star as part of its logo.

Adoracion Capital (detail)

Oil on canvas 30" x 30""

by Patrick McGrath Muñíz

The four emblems around the frame represent
different aspects of consumer culture: technology, food production, energy and
government subsidies.The industrial
wheels on the lower left side of the composition evoke the industrial age from
where our current predicament emerged.On the lower right side, a red bag that reads “Believe” puts forward a
driving creed behind the whole capitalist construction. Derived from a Catholic
prayer, the text framing the composition evokes the use of text in Spanish
Colonial Iconography and it reads: “Señor Capital: Que a imitacion de los magos
del Norte, Vayamos tambien nosotros a adorarte en tu casa, que es templo. Y no vayamos
jamas con cuentas pobres o manos vacias, Que te llevemos siempre lo major del
fruto de nuestro sudor.” (“Lord Capital: That
as an imitation of the Magi of the North, we shall also adore you in your
house, that is a temple. And let us not go with poor accounts or empty handed
and that we may always bring you the best of the fruit of our labor”.

Adoracion Capital (detail)

Oil on canvas 30" x 30""

by Patrick McGrath Muñíz

Adoración Capital serves as a testament to our times and
where we are headed in history. Symbols in time are inevitably transformed by
subsequent generations and cultures evolve adopting new practices and beliefs
according to the spirit of their time. The original stories told again and
again eventually end up having a whole new meaning. It happened with the old
pagan traditions and it is happening today with Christianity. Future historians
may look back at our times as the crucial moment when the Christian Winter
Solstice called "Christmas" was gradually replaced by the Capital
worship Winter Solstice that may be known in the future as "Happy Shopping
Days". Of course it should also be remembered as a precarious time of Earth-plundering economics when we decided to give free rein to our voracious consumer habits, completely ignoring it's impact on our fragile ecosystem.

Friday, November 20, 2015

As a painter with a
passion for history I always find new material and sources of inspiration to
inform my art. Nearly 10 years ago I introduced Christian Iconography into my
work derived from Spanish Colonial Art. At the same time I was interested in
finding parallels between narratives and recurring archetypes from the past to
the present. In the last 10 years I've gradually expanded the visual vocabulary
adding more complexity and interpretations to the work. From the study and use
of Spanish colonial narratives and the Catholic pantheon of saints to the
present neo-colonial global narratives and the current capitalist pantheon of
transnational corporations, I soon started noticing a hidden pattern that could
be drawn further back in time.

Ashé (2015)

Oil and gold leaf on panel 12 x 24 inches by Patrick McGrath Muñiz

Private collection

The ancient pagan gods
of the Roman Empire seemed to be alive in the guise of Virgins, Saints and
Angels. Now I could start drawing the line between gods, heroes, saints and
corporations. After reading Cosmos and Psyche by Richard Tarnas, I realized
there was indeed a good reason to suspect a connection and it led me up to the
starry night and the study of archetypal astrology. The old gods became even
more real when I understood the relation between certain planetary alignments
and significant world events that affected the course of history. The artist soul thrives with curiosity for
many things besides his/her art and never ceases to be fascinated and inspired
by unseen connections that can be detected by his/her own creative mind. This I
believe is the driver of creativity.

Deuscubrimiento (2010)

Oil on canvas 50 x 38 inches by Patrick McGrath Muñiz

Private Collection

So far my research has led me to study
Astrology, Alchemy and Tarot. While they all show many variants, theories and
uses depending on who you read or talk to, astrology stands firmly across the
ages as the oldest of the three with consistent verifiable results. From
alchemy we got chemistry, from astrology, astronomy. Tarot seems to be a
totally different study. They all share some mystical core concepts but
originate in different times and places and lead into different paths. If
astrology was like a Solar system, alchemy would be a planet and Tarot a moon. It
is much easier and accessible to study a moon but this shouldn't keep us from
studying the whole Solar system and beyond. An artist should always keep an open mind to
the mystical realm and with this attitude his/her inner creative child is
nurtured.

La Rueda Arquetipica Neo-Colonial (2011)

Oil on moving panels 36 x 36 inches by Patrick McGrath Muñiz

Private collection

Although the date is
still unclear, card games originated in China and made their way into the
Islamic world during the 13th Century. Subsequently the Mamluk cards were introduced
to Europe in the 14th century and it became
widely produced during the Renaissance. The
cards which had been based on Middle Eastern models were adopted by the Europeans
who started creating cards that reflected
their local European cultures, carrying much of the symbolism and imagery
prevalent by the time. The Tarot really began around the first half of 15th
century Italy. The Visconti Tarot is an Italian deck dating around 1450 in
Milan and it's the earliest most complete surviving deck that we have. The
earliest Tarot decks contain characters from late mediaeval tradition such as knaves,
knights, queens and kings with symbolic objects like coins, staffs, swords and
cups. But what distinguishes the Tarot from any other four suit deck of playing
cards is the Major Arcana which are 22. It has captivated the imagination of
artists and occultists throughout the last 5 centuries. Even though today it is
hard to disassociate Tarot from fortune telling, the Tarot initially did not
start out as a divination device. From playing cards they were also used as mnemonic
and educational tools for upper-class children (such as the Mantegna Tarocchi).
It wasn't until the middle of the 18th century that we find a documented
evidence for its use as a divination tool.

Study of Major Arcana or Main Archetypes of the Tarot (2012)

Drawing Journal by Patrick McGrath Muñiz

My first Tarot deck was
the Rider-Waite (1910), the one most people know of and use today. But at the
time I was not ready to understand the importance and impact this device would
have in my art. It wasn't until I acquired the Tarot of the Saints by Robert Place and read his books on Tarot several years ago that I got really
interested in learning more about this mystery tradition. I soon found an
interesting relation between the Tarot and all the subjects that had been of my
sources of inspiration for my art. In the cards I could see the astrological
signs, the ancient gods, the Christian saints and even the modern day
corporations and consumer culture icons. I could see a multiplicity of forms
from the highest to the lowest converge into a single encyclopedia of timeless
archetypes.

My appreciation for the
cards and the images in them has grown since and the way I incorporate them in
my art is far from the common use of fortune telling. As an artist, I see these cards
is as an archetypal encyclopedia of 78 icons and symbols that can be re-interpreted
in a similar way we interpret a painting at a museum. My fascination for the
cards derives out of the same pleasure of knowing and not knowing at the same time
what the images are about. It is the same sensation one has when confronted
with a great masterpiece of art. The allure of a an enigmatic image never
ceases to draw interest and attention from the viewer and that is what makes
the Tarot so appealing today. It is a timeless work of art open to
re-interpretation and re-creation.

Virgen de las Revelaciones (2013)

Oil and metal leaf on panel 31 x 47 inches by Patrick McGrath Muñiz

Private collection

Some of my paintings
include images of the cards. Some are copies from the Tarot of Marseille (The
earliest deck to achieve widespread fame) but most are my own interpretations
of the cards. They often appear on the edges and frames of my paintings adding
an extra layer of content that modifies the context of the central composition.
I am fully aware of the popular connection between Tarot and divination and
that plays into the narrative as well. But my primary interest in the Tarot
lies within its archetypal significance and how it may affect the interpretation
of a piece. I'm also interested in how the Tarot can be relevant to our current
global issues. Whether one uses it for divination, or just for the pleasure of collecting, the Tarot should be considered as a powerful creative tool for artists and writers who wish to explore and create new narratives in art and literature. The more I use the Tarot
and incorporate it into my work, the more I learn from it and the combinations and possible narratives seem endless.

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

After pondering over
the significance of what I do as a painter and the message my work carries with
its narratives, it becomes interestingly notable the similarities between the
alchemist and the painter. The alchemist obsessive pursuit of transforming lead
into gold serves as a perfect metaphor for creative people living today in a consumerist society that have to come up with new ways of transforming all the rubbish into
something beautiful and significant. In an age where we are constantly
bombarded by mind numbing news and consumer culture propaganda, we are in need
of artists that work as alchemists. These lotus like souls float over the muddy waters of our
consumer driven society and their art blooms like a gleam of hope for a better
future. The artist that becomes aware of the world around him/her can filter,
distill and transform the experiences and information the keeps the masses asleep.
Their art is like a golden bell that wakes up the dormant souls in this world.
Art is indeed a very powerful tool. Just consider for a moment that about
10,000 years ago human civilizations on this planet developed agriculture. Long
before this, about 40,000 years ago we started to paint in caves. That is how
ancient and fundamentally important art is in our society.

Imagine an art class
where you would be required to paint with pure primary colors straight out of
the tube without mixing. How would you create a landscape, a portrait or an
abstract painting using only ultramarine blue, cadmium red or yellow? It can be
done of course but once we create these primary color exercises we start to realize,
how much more advantageous it is to be able to mix any of these colors and create
a much more rich, and varied palette. After all, painting without the knowledge
of mixing and expanding the chromatic spectrum is like learning just a few
words in a new language. We expand our vocabulary and learn to pars and
conjugate once we learn how colors interact and behave with each other. For a
narrative painter, concepts, stories and archetypes are equally important as
colors.

A star shapped color palette arrangement by Patrick McGrath Muñiz

It seems quite natural therefore
to see the painter as an innate alchemist who creates work by association, destruction and construction.. This is someone who is constantly
experimenting with different amalgamations of pigments and media in order to
find the perfect recipe that will produce a gem, a work of art. Not only is the
formal/material process important in order to achieve success, but the content (not just for a narrative painter) is just as important and becomes another
layer added to the color palette. In the content palette one may find a limited
number of archetypes. We may already be familiar with them but it is always
good to refresh our memories be mindful of their existence. They come in many
shapes and forms throughout time and different cultures. They are primary
forces behind the gods, the saints, the heroes and villains we hear about in
all world mythologies, religions and folklore. The different combinations of
these archetypes produces a wide array of possible stories with specific ends
and messages to be derived by the viewer.

Going back to our art
class, I have to ask myself when was the last time I learned how to compose a
story with archetypes in a painting class? If mixing colors was seldom taught
in both my undergrad and graduate painting curricula, I don't ever recall archetypes
being mentioned as counterparts to color when it comes to conceptualization or storytelling.
There can be many reasons for this huge gap in art academia but something
remains crystal clear to me as a keep studying art on my own. The study of
archetypes for an artist (even abstract) is as important as knowing your art
history and as important as knowing how to mix the primary colors. As alchemists, if we strive to create gold (art)
out of the most basic materials, we should also be aware of how to construct
our stories. No matter how abstract they may be, our creations will never
escape or be independent of color, hidden archetypes and our own human history.

Studying archetypal themes in my journal.

In the following blog
posts, I'll delve deeper into the understanding and exploration of these building blocks of narrative painting called
archetypes. This will be part of the documentation for the development of my next project:
A Tarot inspired by human history, social inequality and the environment.

Sunday, May 31, 2015

"The Water
Flask", "The Plate" and "The Exchange" (El
Intercambio) are three new paintings I just sent over to La Antigua Galeria de
Arte in Antigua Guatemala. For all three works I used friends that live in Guatemala
as models for the characters. All three contain narratives
that relate directly to the Neocolonial status of not just Guatemala and other
Central American countries but of many more across the globe. The readings of
Yuval Harari and Jared Diamond have been influential in my work. I find more
and more clearly the historical connections and continuous line that bridges
Imperialism from the ancient world to the European conquest of the Americas to
the current global colonization by large transnational corporations. What
drives this unity for conquest and domination is a blind belief in the fiction
of money and power. Today money seems to the universal religion that unites all
in a common capitalist cause. When animals are seen in
merely utilitarian terms, as objects and not as beings with rights, they
become mass produced food and commodities. These in turn become
processed objects valued in monetary terms. The same happens with many other
precious natural resources from water to plants to the land. All
becomes subject to the rules of the market. This belief in the supremacy of
capital is ultimately contributing to the destruction of almost
everything that lives on this planet, therefore leading to the
suicide of our own species. These works reflect on our histories,
inherited myths and current fictions.

A standing woman holds and shows us a plate that resembles an old Mayan plate. On a closer inspection we discover that the Mayan figures painted on the plate allude to a modern day fast food franchise.It suggests socio-economic power hierarchies from the past to the present reflected in food production and consumption. Behind her we appreciate two painted figures from a mural. The Ancient Egyptian and Greek youths are accompanied by oxen and symbolize animal husbandry and agriculture, two important revolutions in the history of humanity that keep evolving to this day with the industrialization and mass production of GMO's across the globe. The haloed corn serpent around the woman's head, is Ouroboros, the serpent that eats its own tail, which also symbolizes the eternal cycles in nature of life and death. The imagery in the painting is meant to evoke food by utilizing symbols associated with it that at the same time control or influence the way we understand and consume them. The plate is old, the plate is broken and it is also empty, just as the whole idea behind the sanctity of food in an age of corporations.

In the painting El Intercambio (The Exchange) two men
pose in front of a Central American landscape and meet at a table. The one
on the left represents the indigenous cultures and their beliefs. The one to
the right is inspired after Saint Isidore the laborer, who was aided by an
angel who plowed the soil. This character represents the West andholds a pomegranate seed on one hand while
holding a coin on the other. The pomegranate symbolizes Pluto, the Classical
god of the underworld, power and riches. An inscription on the coin reads: Monsanctus Dominus Global, in
allusionto a large transnational seed
corporation's global dominion. The apparent transaction occurs between two different
cultures and belief systems. One places its faith in the god of money while the
other holds Mother Earth and the natural world as sacred. The inscription below
reads: Fatali Pretium Fructuum (The predestined price of produce) We can see
that the gold coins on the table are really chocolate candy gold coins, a
commentary on the created fiction and value of money. From the military drone
to the flying saucer in the sky, the scene is a reflection of past and present
conquest, colonization with its shock doctrine and myths of progress and
development. Who will benefit most in the end from this exchange?

A woman holds a green round flask
on her hands with a yellow halo around her. The flask is inspired after a Menas flask, a particular kind of small
ancient terracotta flask sold to early Coptic Christians as containers for holy
water. In this case the iconography of St. Menas of Alexandria has been
replaced by the Nestle Logo, one of the largest transnational food and water
corporations that has been responsible for unethical exploitation, water
extraction, pollution and other fraudulent activities in a number of countries
from Ethiopia to Colombia. The illegal appropriation, branding and re-selling
of water as a commodity is just the tip of the iceberg froma deceitful corporation that paints itself as a "Pure Life"
nurturing Icon. In a painting as in our own lives ruled by corporations,
appearances can often be deceiving.This
brings us to question: Who has the divine right to water? Who has the right to
sell it and who can afford to buy it?

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

With
Climate change already upon us and becoming more real than ever with every
passing year, we ought to ask ourselves how we got to the present state to
begin with? What is the root cause of this already beyond un-debatable man made
impact on climate and the environment? It would be quite easy to conclude that
the rampant nature exploitation activities from our industrial society and over
consumption of natural resources are behind it. We could fill pages exposing
the failure of globalized capitalism which is driven by economic growth and
it's unsustainable extraction practices. It would be after all quite apparent
that oil companies reliant on fossil fuels that cause CO2 emissions, large
trans-national corporations, government lack of regulations and big state
polluters like China are responsible for much of our climate's present state
and future.

Time magazine cover for Jan 2, 1989

The truth
is we could trace the origins of these destructive systemsa little further back in time.In 1989, Time
magazine instead of going for the usual "Man of the Year" cover, used
a photographbyartist Christo of a globe covered with
plastic and tied up with twine. The cover read:"Planet of the Year: Endangered Earth". As significant as this
may seem at the time, the accompanying essay by Thomas Sancton was a powerful
statement in itself worth quoting as it described the roots of the problem:

"In many
pagan societies, the earth was seen as a mother, a fertile giver of life.
Nature-the soil, forest, sea- was endowed with divinity, and mortals were
subordinate to it. The Judeo-Christian tradition introduced a radically
different concept. The earth was the creation of a monotheistic God, who, after
shaping it, ordered its inhabitants in the words of Genesis: "be fruitful
and multiply and replenish the earth and subdue it: and have dominion over the
fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air and over every living thing that
moveth upon the earth". The idea of dominion could be interpreted as an
invitation to use nature as a convenience. Thus the spread of Christianity,
which is generally considered to have paved the way for the development of
technology, may at the same time have carried the seeds of the wanton
exploitation of nature that has often accompanied technological progress".

Neo-Genesis 12" x 12" Ink on paper by Patrick McGrath Muñiz

This was
certainly not a new idea at the time as it formed the basis of the growing
counter culture ecological movement. But being included in such a widespread
magazine read by millions was indeed significant and revealing. This anthropocentric
anti-environmental world view and even demonization of nature is definitely not
exclusive to the Judeo-Christian tradition but it undoubtedly influenced
western thought from the theologianSt. Augustine to the philosopher
Francis Bacon.Western capitalism was in
turn inspired by the belief in a fruitful and multiplying human
civilization with its economic growth, prosperity and technological
progress based on competition, a free market and its dominion,manipulation and exploitation over Mother
Nature. With the fall of the Iron Curtain, the dissolution of the Soviet Unionand the increasing power of
communications with the rise of the internet in the 1990's, Capitalism became a fast growing world phenomenon and to
this day it defines much of our globalized cultural and social landscapes from New York to
Beijing.

An industrial area, with a power plant, south of Yangzhou's downtown, China

Yuval Harari on his book Sapiens: a brief history of humanity argues thatmodern day capitalism resembles more a
religion rather than an economic theory. The collective fictionof the supremacy of money isone big cultural construct that sets us apart
from the rest of the animal kingdom. The utilitarian and extractionistapproach to nature from free market
fundamentalism is propagated through the mass media in order to indoctrinate
the people to become passive consumers rather than active world citizens that
may question these created fictions.

Despite
the best efforts of well intentioned people within the Church from LeonardoBoff to Pope Francis to revise the Christian doctrines in a new ecological
light, these dogmas and inherited beliefs in a human superiority over animals,
plants, other peoplesand other lands is
hard to overlook.From the idea of a
"Promised Land" to the "Manifest Destiny", these
conveniently designed myths have servedthe interests of empires, monarchies, monotheisticproselytizing religions and economic
monopolies around the globe.It is
extremely important we know the root of a problem before we prepare to fix it,
especially when we are dealing with our very own existence and future on this
planet.

American Progress Oil painting by John Glast (Circa 1872)

Of course Christianityor any
other monotheist religions are not the primary cause of our current environmental crisis. We created a negative impact on the ecosystem long before any of these modern day
religions showed up, from the hunter gatherer societies to the agricultural revolution and the rise of the first big cities. But by digging deep into the historical relation between
religion, empire, money and the natural worldwe can gain a much better understanding of our present day ecological
downfall.It is time we change not only
our consumption habits but our core beliefs as well. While the unquestioned
"sacrosanctity" of the ruling corpocracy and global financial
institutions is kept in place by our unyielding monotheistic faith in the power
of money over everything else we can only expect one big thing to change,that is our planet and our very existence on
it.

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Recently I attended the opening of Dreams
& Divinities, an international travelling group show now showing at
LuminArte Gallery in Dallas, Texas and which I am proud to be participating in
with one of my pieces. The show has travelled from Toledo, Spain to San
Cristobal de las Casas to Monterey, Mexico with its finale in Dallas, Texas. It has been presented during four equinoxes which happens to give the project the conceptual framework from where it springs forth. Curated by Liba Waring Stambollion and presented by Matt Anzak at Luminarte, the
show features visionary, magic realism and surrealist artists from around the
globe. As soon as you enter the gallery you'll be in for a treat for the mind
and soul.

Partial view of the exhibition

For the highly skeptical viewer, the works may at first seem to be flighty colorful
renditions of New Age doctrines, an escapist attempt, oblivious to the current
state of affairs of our world and perhaps of the 'art world' as well . On a closer
inspection the works reveal a profound sense of being and understanding of how
the world operates at an subconscious level. Not only subject matter is represented
from an unconventional holistic approach, which makes the work so interesting,
it also unpacks a whole load of visual information that responds to our own
age. In a high speed internet age, these silent images allure us to slow down a bit and take our time to look closer, to comtemplate and experience that which cannot be expressed with words.

Work by Miguel Tio

Work by Android Jones

What I found fascinating about the show was not only the intricate complexity
and individual language of each piece but also the incredible unity and level
of cohesion of the whole. The mastery and imaginative use of color in the works
of Cody Seekins, Roku Sasaki, Zeljko Djurovic and Android Jones are spectacular.
The attention to fine drawing details in the work Joe MacGown, Carrie Ann
Baade, Miguel Tio and Raul Casillas is mind blowing. From dots, stars, little
leaves, microcosmic strange looking creatures, to myterious signs, symbols and fiery dragons,
the pieces in this exhibition not only speak eloquently of the unseen, they are
also well grounded in a solid tradition of representational techniques in
painting and sculpture.

Work by Patrick Mcgrath Muñiz

Perhaps what's most interesting about this exhibition is the fact that it
gathers highly talented artists from a wide range of backgrounds and cultural upbringings. We may
all speak different languages but it all interestingly comes together in our
shared vision and the creative process. From the ethereal portraits of A.Andrew
Gonzalez to the focused attention to detail of the painted objects in Erich J.
Mofitt's work, every piece in this exhibition invites us into the surrealist
realm of dreams and divinities but without losing a keen eye for the small, overlooked
things from our Earthbound world.

Works by Joe MacGown

Artists: Patrick McGrath Muñiz, Andrew Gonzalez and Joe McGown

I'm well aware that I haven't mentioned every artist participating in this
exhibition and I only had the chance to meet two of the artists in person, Joe MacGown and Andrew Gonzalez, both extraordinarily talented. But
there is so much to grasp in this exhibition it would take a whole book to cover it and there would still be more left out to talk about.
As a matter of fact as Liba mentions, this is how the Dreams and Divinities project got started in the first place,
with a book. If you are interested in learning more about all the artists participating, and of the Dreams and
Divinities current and future projects and publications visit:

The exhibition will be up until May 2nd, 2015 and I highly recommend seeing
it in person. Believe me, cameras do not capture as much as the real experience
of being in front of many of these works of art. For more information on
LuminArte gallery hours and location visit:

Friday, February 20, 2015

19
years ago I started a project and new year's resolution in which I drew every
day in a drawing journal. The idea came from a phrase I read from Apelles of
Kos a Greek painter of the 4th century BC. "Nulla Dies Sine Linea"
(Do not spend a day without a line) is a famous quote attributed to the artist.
Drawing is fundamental to all art, from painting to architecture, so why not
strengthen this skill to its maximum, I thought. The way to do this was by
first of all adopting the phrase from Apelles as maxim & principle to guide
my art.

The first drawings made in my diary were by ballpoint pen and very
loose. Many of these were disastrous but some showed to have potential and I
slowly began to realize that what's really important behind drawing was in the
process and not necessarily the result. The vigor and looseness were gradually
being reflected in any other artistic medium I worked with. For many years I
drew religiously every day in my diaries that kept accumulating. These drawings
served as sketches for my paintings but they also served as a learning tool,
escape valve andan appropriate channel
for creative energy. This had a tremendously positive impact on paintings I
created in subsequent years.

After passing through some phases and art periods
high and low, I decided to re-take this daily practice of drawing from this
year onwards and through this blog to share some of the results. After all this
blog is titled "Artist journal", so I better make some justice with
this title.

When I taught drawing and painting, one of my advices to my
students was to never stop drawing and to create a habit and discipline of
drawing as many often as they could. At first it may be difficult and it is
because we do not have the time or easily feel discouraged by not seeing
immediate results but the key is keeping at it with persistence in the process
and to simply enjoy the humble act of drawing.

One way of looking at it is to
think about the drawings as the basic vitamins in art. In this metaphor, an
artist who does not draw is a malnourished artist. Again I throw this advice to
all who read this blog. No matter the medium or support but always keep this in
mind and practice "Nulla Dies Sine Linea".

About this Blog

In this Blog I explore and discuss from an artist's perpective, issues related to contemporary culture, from colonialism to consumerism and how these impact our environment and cultural identities. As an artist coming from Puerto Rico and now living in Houston, Texas, I'm inspired by Spanish Colonial Iconography, Art History, Religious Syncretisms, Comparative Mythology and Pop Culture. I also study the Tarot, Astrology and Alchemy with a special interest in archetypes. All of the issues put forward on this blog derive from these interests and are reflected in my art as well. With these articles I wish to share with the world my own insights into the hidden connections I see between our past and present narratives. The aim is to bring some light into questions artist Paul Gauguin wrote in 1897 on one of his paintings; Where Do we Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?